Leeza Gibbons was heartbroken when her elderly mother no longer recognized her. In an exclusive Lifescript interview, the TV personality reveals the ways she coped with caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s – including how she managed emotional challenges – and gives advice for other caregivers. Plus, how much do you know about Alzheimer’s disease? Take our quiz to find out...

Entertainment reporter Leeza Gibbons has enjoyed nearly 30 years in front of the camera.

But March 26, 2007 – the day she performed the mambo on “Dancing With the Stars” – sticks in her mind. Not only was it her birthday, but it was also her mother’s – the last one before she died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

“[The performance] was a way for me to tell her – and the world – that I’m celebrating her life, I love her and I'll never stop advocating for Alzheimer’s [research],” Gibbons says.

Gibbons, 53, has hosted top-rated showbiz programs like “Entertainment Tonight,” “Extra” and her talk show, “Leeza.” But her most difficult job, she says, was as family caregiver to mom Gloria Jean, who suffered from Alzheimer’s for more than a decade before she died in May 2008 at age 73.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, and the terminal, progressive brain disorder has no known cause or cure, according to the American Health Assistance Foundation. It leads to memory loss, confusion, personality changes, disorientation and the inability to communicate, making it especially difficult on relatives and caregivers.

“Not only are caregivers dealing with the disease’s physical symptoms, they’re also dealing with mental degradation,” Gibbon says.

To help family caregivers, Gibbons has established the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation and Leeza’s Place Centers, which offer therapy and support for Alzheimer’s sufferers and their caregivers in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas. She has also co-authored a book for caregivers, Take Your Oxygen First(LaChance).

In this exclusive Lifescript interview, Gibbons reveals how Alzheimer’s changed her life.

What Alzheimer’s symptoms did your mother have?In the beginning, she began forgetting things. Her personality started to change. She would misplace things. One time she paid a household bill several times.

How did you feel when you realized it was Alzheimer’s?My mother was young and physically strong when diagnosed, so I stayed in denial. I actually thought her actions were the result of drinking.

So I got the family together for an intervention. I wanted to send her to [an addiction treatment clinic]. I worried she was becoming an alcoholic.

It turns out she was drinking to self-medicate her fear, because she suspected something was wrong. She insisted that our family get our heads out of the sand, and told us she needed a doctor.

How long did your mom battle the disease?Her journey officially took a decade, but it really was much longer. She had early-onset Alzheimer’s and began showing Alzheimer’s symptoms, like being forgetful or telling a story twice, in her 50s.

[She] was formally diagnosed at 63. We lost her at 73.

When diagnosed, she wasn’t that much older than you are now. Are you scared you could follow in her footsteps?I try not to worry about it or allow my risk for Alzheimer’s dominate my thoughts.

But I’m also not naïve. I know I have a greater risk of developing the disease because it runs in my family.

People in their 40s and 50s may be on the way to developing Alzheimer’s, but don’t know it. They may have cognitive issues in their family and should be mindful of caring for – and paying attention to – themselves.

Have other family members had Alzheimer’s?My maternal grandmother. In fact, my mother had just been diagnosed when we lost my grandmother.

So my mother went through her mother’s funeral with the emotional burden that she had just been diagnosed with the disease.

There was a moment when it was very scary to think that could be my own – and my children’s – fate. Sometimes that eeriness haunts me.

How do you keep those fears at bay?Instead of making me afraid, it gives me energy to stay the course and continue to advocate for Alzheimer’s research, education and awareness.

Because I’m at risk, I also try to manage stress, meditate, get exercise and take good care of myself. I want my kids to know I’m doing everything I can to avoid that genetic path.

My mother used to say, “Honey, all you can do is all you can do. Your best is always going to be good enough.”

Why is stress management important?As with so many diseases, we know stress is the enemy because it can cause your body to attack itself.

Was it stressful being a family caregiver?You bet! You can’t do it alone, even though I sure tried.

At first, it was hard to ask for help when caring for my mom. But well into the battle I was drowning – overwhelmed with fear and guilt about needing help caring for my mom.

Most caregivers are frustrated and depressed. That puts them at great risk for a host of stress-related health maladies, including Alzheimer’s.

I finally learned the best way to protect loved ones and help them is to first take care of yourself and your emotional well-being.

Caregivers need to invest in their physical, emotional and spiritual health to have the energy to invest in someone else.

What was the hardest part of having a parent with Alzheimer’s? It’s very hard to hear a loved one has Alzheimer’s because the disease is so cruel. My mother must have been afraid, but she was so brave and courageous when diagnosed. She faced it head on.

She gave us our marching orders, which was a really amazing gift and characterizes [her] strength and courage.

How did that inspire you?That strength is something I try to emulate every day. I try not to let fear stop me from doing something or keep me from celebrating each day.

It’s what helped me conquer my fears when I was on “Dancing With the Stars.” In fact, if I hadn’t gone on this Alzheimer’s journey, I might not have appeared on “DWTS.”

Dancing represented my continued growth as an individual. My kids really forced me to do it.

One day my daughter pointed out that I talk about the importance of family caregivers getting out of their comfort zones, but I wasn’t taking my own advice.

I realized she was right, and agreed to do the show and dedicate my performance to my mom.

If she couldn’t dance, then I’d dance for the both of us.

Dancing has been shown to help slow cognitive decline, so it’s ironic that you danced to honor your mom.It really was a “meant-to-be” moment. As a result, we’ve started holding proms and dances at the Leeza’s Place Centers.

How’d you feel when your mother forgot you?It was very hard to figure out how my love for her could reach through the fog.

Those final stages were so brutal, because my mom couldn’t look at me and say, “thank you,” or “Don’t worry, it will be OK,” like a mother would. And I hoped – but never knew if she understood how much I loved her.

Before “DWTS” how did you channel the emotional ups and downs?Many times I didn’t. I was in the studio a lot doing “ET” and the “Leeza” show, and later “Extra.” My kids were small and also needed me. So I was pulled in a thousand directions – it was overwhelming.

When my mother was in the advanced stages of the disease, I would go to hair and makeup every day. Things looked put together on the outside.

But the minute we were done taping, I’d take off my microphone, leave the studio and just start walking for blocks.

I took a microcassette recorder with me, which was my audio diary. I would cry and scream, express my concerns or grief and just ramble. The tapes helped me get those feelings out – that’s so important for family caregivers.

They need an outlet for their feelings – whether it’s journaling, support groups or coming up with a list.

How Much Do You Know About Alzheimer’s Disease?More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and that number could climb to 16 million by 2050. Women face a higher risk of developing it than men, and are also more likely to become caregivers. Take this quiz to see how much you know about Alzheimer’s.

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